Each year, Computerworld accepts nominations from across the industry — from vendors, IT users, public relations and marketing professionals, Computerworld readers and past Premier 100 IT Leaders honorees. Eligible nominees include CIOs, CTOs, senior vice presidents, vice presidents, IT directors and managers from a cross-section of user and vendor companies and their IT divisions, including but not limited to professionals in network management, database management, Web management, help desk operations, application development, project management, contract management and procurement.

Nominations for the 2015 list were collected from February through September 2014, and about 1,000 were submitted. Our editors then invited the nominees to complete a comprehensive management/leadership questionnaire online from July through October. The candidates were asked about a range of topics, including their backgrounds, work experiences, special accomplishments, leadership styles, technology priorities and strategies, and other details about the IT environments they have fostered at their organizations. We received more than 200 complete, qualified questionnaires.

Nominated individuals were asked to provide three references each: one from a direct manager, one from a direct report and one from a professional acquaintance. Computerworld's editors contacted the references for each finalist, and the references' responses were incorporated into the evaluations of the nominees.

Using Computerworld's IT Leader Index, which measures how closely an individual matches our definition of an IT leader, a panel of Computerworld editors and outside judges evaluated the completed questionnaires. Judges reviewed only those nominees who work in industries other than their own.

We define an IT leader as someone who guides the effective use of information technology to improve his organization's business performance. Our definition of an IT leader also includes the following characteristics: